Youth alcohol & drug treatment services
Assessment & intervention
Page content: Introduction | Structure | Contents | Download document
Introduction
The development of the Youth Assessment and Intervention Tool was commissioned by the Drug Treatment Services Unit, Department of Human Services, Victoria. The aim is to provide a standardised assessment tool which can be used across all youth alcohol and drug service types in Victoria.
The output of the project is a report that provides information regarding the project, the methods used to develop the tool and a literature review. The report is accompanied by the tool, a set of attachments and this manual, which provides information and advice for applying the assessment tool.
The Youth Assessment and Intervention Tool is based on a number of key themes that emerged from the reviewed literature and extensive consultation undertaken with the youth sector. Primarily, the tool reflects the ongoing nature of assessment and its close link to intervention. It should facilitate the gathering of relevant information that guides appropriate intervention, but do so in the least intrusive way. It is clear that the needs of youth workers from different services and across service types vary considerably, and the assessment tool has been designed to reflect these differences. Finally, and importantly, this assessment tool will assist workers to perform their job, rather than become a hindrance to their work.
The Youth Assessment and Intervention Tool provides a comprehensive tool which is flexible enough to be useful across a range of work environments and worker styles. This tool allows workers to collect information at varying levels of detail and intensity. It is designed to reflect the development of an assessment over time and at the young person’s pace (1). It encourages the development of a relationship/connection with the young person by dealing with presenting issues in the first instance and further developing the assessment as new information is revealed. The sections may be addressed in any order and in any depth.
This manual describes the structure of the tool and discusses application issues. Each question in the tool is examined in turn.
This manual was reviewed and updated in 2004 and describes the structure of the tool and discusses application issues. Each question in the tool is examined in turn.
top of page
Structure
The Youth Assessment and Intervention Tool is structured into nine areas relevant to the assessment of young people who present at services with alcohol and drug issues including:
- Presenting issues
- Demographics
- Support services (referral source)
- Statutory issues
- Accommodation
- Relationships (family, peers, sther significant adults)
- Health (emotional/mental health, physical health, substance use)
- Education and vocation (school, employment and training)
- Leisure and recreation
A concluding summary section and an individual treatment plan are provided.
Contents
Section 1
Instructions for the use of the assessment and intervention tool for
youth alcohol and drug treatment services
- Introduction
- Structure
- Administering the tool
- Youth assessment and intervention tool
- Presenting issues
- Demographics
- Support services
- Statutory issues
- Accommodation
- Relationships
- Health
- Education and vocation
- Leisure and recreation
- Summary
- Individual treatment plan (ITP)
- Explanations Re: attachments
- Support services for workers
top of page
Section 2
Assessment and intervention tool for youth alcohol and drug treatment
services
- Presenting issues
- Demographics
- Support services
- Statutory issues
- Accommodation
- Relationships
- Health
- Education and vocation
- Leisure and recreation
- Summary
- Individual Treatment Plan (ITP)
- Support Linkages Chart
Section 3
attachments
- Attachment 1: Assessment and Intervention Case Notes
- Attachment 2: Significant Treatment Goals Attainments Summary
- Attachment 3: Offending History Prompts
- Attachment 4: Substance Use table Prompts
Download document
 Youth
alcohol & drug treatment services - Assessment & intervention (170kb,
pdf)
Footnotes:
(1) Justice services that are legally required to provide an immediate assessment should prioritise critical information and proceed with due sensitivity to the young person.
top of page
|
